Contents

Early life

Rapace in Los Angeles

Rapace was born in Hudiksvall, Sweden. Her mother, Nina Norén (born Kristina Norén; 1954), is a Swedish actress, and her father, Rogelio Durán (10 November 1953 – 4 November 2006), was a Spanish Flamenco singer from Badajoz.[4] She has said that her father may have been of part Romani descent, and though she is "not sure if it is true," she has "always been interested in the culture."[5][6] Rapace's sister, Særún Norén, is a photographer.[3] Rapace has said she saw her father only occasionally before his death. At the age of five, she moved from her native Sweden to Flúðir in Iceland with her mother and stepfather. Two years later, she made her film debut in a minor role in the Icelandic filmIn the Shadow of the Raven. Rapace speaks fluent Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, and English in addition to her native Swedish.[7]

In 2007, she won acclaim for her award-winning portrayal of a troubled teen mother in the Danish film Daisy Diamond, directed by Simon Staho. She won the two top film awards in Denmark (the Bodil and Robert prize) for Best Actress for her role in the film, which was also selected for the main competition at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The film received some criticism for the supposed abuse occurring to a baby actor during production.[10]

Her international fame has earned her leading roles in American cinema. She was cast in Ridley Scott's blockbuster hit Prometheus, where she played the leading role, a scientist named Elizabeth Shaw. She had met Scott for the first time following the release of the Millennium trilogy movies, at which point he expressed a willingness to work with her and encouraged her to improve her accent.[12]Prometheus was released in June 2012.[13] She did not appear in the final cut of the film's sequel Alien: Covenant (2017), but did act in a short related prologue.

Personal life

Rapace married Swedish actor Ola Norell in 2001. Together, they chose the surname "Rapace" after they were married, which means "bird of prey" in French.[26] They have a son who was born in 2003. In September 2010, the couple filed for divorce, taking effect in 2011.[27][28][29]